4. Exercise regularly

A person who regularly exercises outdoors can switch to exercising indoors.

Regular physical activities, such as walking or cycling, may be less pleasant in the cold winter months, especially for people with PsA.

However, these kinds of activities keep the joints mobile and flexible. Regular exercise also helps keep body weight down, which prevents the joints from becoming overloaded.

For more comfortable outdoor exercise during the winter months, try wearing extra items of clothing, such as thermal gloves. These help insulate the joints, protecting them from the cold.

Alternatively, try swapping outdoor activities for a regular indoor exercise routine, such as yoga. A systematic review from 2019 suggests that yoga can help treat inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, by helping keep inflammation at bay.

5. Try water exercises

Exercising in a heated pool is a good way to boost circulation and loosen stiff and aching joints during the winter months.

However, note that chlorinated water can irritate or dry out the skin if a person has skin psoriasis.

Water provides a combination of resistance and buoyancy, which is particularly beneficial for people with PsA. Resistance increases the intensity of the exercise, while buoyancy helps support body weight and relieve pressure on the joints.

A person with PsA might benefit from hydrotherapy, which is a set of supervised, structured exercises carried out in a warm-water pool.

A 2013 study interviewed 10 people with PsA about their experiences with hydrotherapy. The majority reported that it had improved their joint mobility, strength, and balance and had reduced stiffness and pain.

7. Try phototherapy

During the winter months, cloudy weather and reduced daylight hours decrease levels of sunlight exposure. This may trigger psoriasis flares in some people.

When symptoms of psoriasis get worse, they can trigger PsA, though the two issues are not always linked.

Phototherapy, or light therapy, delivers controlled amounts of ultraviolet light to the skin, and this can help relieve psoriasis symptoms. Phototherapy treatments include ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy and psoralen + ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy.

UVB phototherapy

UVB rays are present in natural sunlight. Regularly exposing affected areas of skin to UVB can help slow the growth of psoriatic skin cells.

People may experience a short-term worsening of skin irritation before noticing improvements.

A physician or a dermatologist can provide the treatment, in a medical setting. Or, a person can learn to use a light unit and perform the treatment at home. UVB lights are available online.